In recent years, backed by the improvement of hardware performance of computers, one computer is utilized by dividing it, into a plurality of logical partitions (for example, see Non-Patent Documents 1, 2). As a specific form, a Central Processing Unit (CPU), a memory, a storage medium such as a magnetic disk, a device such as a network interface or the like may be partitioned.
Such resources partitioned into a plurality of logical partitions can be used so that each logical partition can function as an individual computer. That is, in one computer, a plurality of Operating Systems (OS) and applications running on the OSs can be used in the respective logical partitions. Further, a failure occurring in an individual logical partition does not affect other logical partitions.
In general, a logical partition is defined by a data file (hereinafter called a configuration data file) comprised of pairs of names (attribute names) and values (attribute values) concerning each attributes assigned to the logical partition. In accordance with this configuration data file, a service processor provided in the computer divides and controls hardware resources such as a CPU, a memory and various devices.
[Non-Patent Document 1]    “AIX—logical partition (LPAR) and AIX 5L V5.2” written and edited by IBM Japan, Ltd. published by ASCII CORPORATION, Nov. 25, 2003
[Non-Patent Document 2]    “Hardware management console for pSeries, installation and operation guide” [online] IBM Japan, Ltd., (searched on Aug. 7, 2007), the Internet<URL: http://publibfi.boulder.ibm.com/epubs/pdf/a8868437.pdf>